2016 CX-5 GT Broken rear upper strut mount

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'16 Mazda CX-5 GT
Recently had to replace my rear calipers and received a great amount of help from this forum and am searching for some assistance again. After driving onto the side of the road, I had a loud (when going over expansion joints and the like) rattle from what sounds like the interior. Got the tire off today and the right rear upper strut mount is broken and I had some questions on the repair.

There is no one local that I especially trust with the repair, so the nearest shop would be a 45 minute highway drive away:

1. Can I drive safely without the strut

2. Should I go OEM to replace

3. Should I be diligent about doing both sides now (~32,000 km on the vehicle)

4. Is this something I can DIY (doing it in driveway and it is getting cold here)

5. Is this a known issue with the vehicle.

Thank you for any thoughts....

Brad
 
I'm very intrigued on how the mount can break. I wouldn't drive on it as the strut might flap around and cause collateral damage. You should be able to diy with basic hand tools
 
I'm very intrigued on how the mount can break. I wouldn't drive on it as the strut might flap around and cause collateral damage. You should be able to diy with basic hand tools
To be more clear, I was able to grasp the strut and the top moves, but is hidden and restrained to a degree by the fender liner. So, am assuming that the mount is broken...
 
Did some more research on here (was rushing to work earlier) and it appears I need KA0G-28-910G which appears to include the top mount. As this appears to retail for around $450 CAD, would likely only change the affected side now and have an email in to scarboromazda.ca about ordering. Will search on YouTube and look in the posted shop manual to tear it apart to see what is exactly at issue.
 
Recently had to replace my rear calipers and received a great amount of help from this forum and am searching for some assistance again. After driving onto the side of the road, I had a loud (when going over expansion joints and the like) rattle from what sounds like the interior. Got the tire off today and the right rear upper strut mount is broken and I had some questions on the repair.

There is no one local that I especially trust with the repair, so the nearest shop would be a 45 minute highway drive away:

1. Can I drive safely without the strut

2. Should I go OEM to replace

3. Should I be diligent about doing both sides now (~32,000 km on the vehicle)

4. Is this something I can DIY (doing it in driveway and it is getting cold here)

5. Is this a known issue with the vehicle.

Thank you for any thoughts....

Brad
1. Should be fine.

2. You have no choice but getting the entire OEM rear shock absorber for the broken shock top mount. Unfortunately this top mount isn’t available alone by itself as a separate part for gen-1 CX-5. And all aftermarket rear shocks don’t include this top mount like the OEM.

3. I would, and you should if you plan to keep the CX-5 for many years.

4. Yes, replacing rear shocks on CX-5 is a relative easy DIY project. Just to be safe and use your common sense. The bottom bolt sometimes requiring spring removal for easy removal. Read many posts here and watch the YT videos. If you can DIY on rear brake calipers (and glad you did replace your factory problematic rear calipers), you should be able to replace the rear shocks.

5. Yes, it’s a known issue, and there’re quite a few reports about this problem here.

2013~2016 Issue with replacing rear CX-5 shock...Any ideas?

So the rear shock white top mount is made of metal?

C43BE3F0-F8C8-48E0-AE89-25D91404A65A.jpeg

View attachment 303887

There’re quite a few reports here that the rear shock top mount is cracked and needs to be replaced:

2014 Rear Shock Mount

2016 rear shock mount?

2016 CX-5 Rear Shock Mount


And:
“Saved about $40 per shock vs OEM reusing the old mounts, but YMMV. If I ever replace these again, I’ll get OEM for the included mounts.”

Yeah, the KYB mount was a no-go. Too small!

good news though is that the original mounts look fine. The rubber bushing looks to be in good condition. No cracks or damage. Florida car most of its life so conditions have been gentle.

rear shocks are replaced. You’ll need a 12mm box wrench and a pair of vice grips to remove the mount. Grab the stem with the vice grips and unscrew the 12mm nut. It had some blue lock tite, so I applied some when installing the mount to the new shock. Saved about $40 per shock vs OEM reusing the old mounts, but YMMV. If I ever replace these again, I’ll get OEM for the included mounts.

rear right shock was definitely bad lol. Some seepage down the side. Pic included to show it doesn’t push as far as the old drivers side.

On to the struts!


Also here:
Hi, I'm new here. I am a certified auto technician in Ontario Canada. I'm retired now but still get into repairing autos.
My GF 2015 CX 5 rear shock mount broke. I didn't want to rewplace the entire shock ($390.) Dealer CDN $
I did a lot of on line research & phone calls. Also looked for a used part.
Here is what I did , I used a top shock mount part # DA6A-28-380 from Mazda.
Used on a CX-3 2017.
Was $17 usd plus shipping.
I removed the old broken mount from the body, cut the damper cover at the bottom of the mount, removed the mount from the shock & installed the cx 3 mount to the shock & then to the body. I removed the cut portion of the damper cover from the inside of the old mount & before I installed the new mount I squeezed the upper damper cover into the new mount (not knowing this was only pressed in) I could have removed the cover from the mount without cutting it, but I think it would be difficult to install into the new mount. I used a vise. I applied some Lepage 2 in 1 sealant to hold the shock daamper cover in place.

If you want to save money, and considering your 2016 CX-5 has relatively low mies at ~32,000 km / 20,000 miles, you may try to use the rear shock top mount from the CX-3 according to FrankGMS:

2016 CX-5 Rear Shock Mount

Also, there’s a separate part of rear shock top mount available on gen-2 CX-5, but so far nobody has tried to see if it’s compatible to gen-1 CX-5.
 
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Did some more research on here (was rushing to work earlier) and it appears I need KA0G-28-910G which appears to include the top mount. As this appears to retail for around $450 CAD, would likely only change the affected side now and have an email in to scarboromazda.ca about ordering. Will search on YouTube and look in the posted shop manual to tear it apart to see what is exactly at issue.
There’re too many versions of OEM rear shock absorbers. If your 2016 CX-5 is a FWD, the part no. is KR27-28-910H; if you have an AWD, the part no. is KA0G-28-910G. I thought the OEM rear shocks are about $90 each, is there a big price jump recently?

I have no doubt you have a broken rear shock top mount based on your description of the problem and this’s a known issue. Try to get a CX-3 (or gen-2 CX-5 if you’re willing to get both) top mount to save money with your low-mileage 2016 CX-5.
 
There’re too many versions of OEM rear shock absorbers. If your 2016 CX-5 is a FWD, the part no. is KR27-28-910H; if you have an AWD, the part no. is KA0G-28-910G. I thought the OEM rear shocks are about $90 each, is there a big price jump recently?

I have no doubt you have a broken rear shock top mount based on your description of the problem and this’s a known issue. Try to get a CX-3 (or gen-2 CX-5 if you’re willing to get both) top mount to save money with your low-mileage 2016 CX-5.

I have a request in for quotes for the above shock absorber from a different dealership than Palladino, and for 2 CX3 mounts.(lwhich appear to be around $45). I tried to search for some CX-5-specific guidance but all I could find was for a 3 but I am sure that it is similar. I had mistakenly thought you had to get at the top of the mount from the interior (necessitating removing a lot of interior trim) but the only added difficulty appears to be removing the fender liner. Will look to replace the broken mount now and do the other side next year. Thanks all for the thoughts....
 
$81 for 2, CX3 mounts shipped to me from scarboromazda (always excellent to deal with) coming out of the US so will hope to have them in a couple of weeks and will report results.

In the meantime, I have to drive it back and forth to work (14 km round trip) so better to leave it in place as it is or can I remove the shock now or will that cause handling issues? Also, now that I have the mounts apparently sorted, if I did want to upgrade the suspension later on, can I either go OEM or aftermarket as is the mount universal (i.e. can I buy Koni yellows and upgrade using the CX3 mounts)?
 
$81 for 2, CX3 mounts shipped to me from scarboromazda (always excellent to deal with) coming out of the US so will hope to have them in a couple of weeks and will report results.

In the meantime, I have to drive it back and forth to work (14 km round trip) so better to leave it in place as it is or can I remove the shock now or will that cause handling issues? Also, now that I have the mounts apparently sorted, if I did want to upgrade the suspension later on, can I either go OEM or aftermarket as is the mount universal (i.e. can I buy Koni yellows and upgrade using the CX3 mounts)?
Strangely MazdaShop / Scarborough Mazda in Canada is famous here in this forum selling Canada only OEM Premium Floor Liners to US customers. Now you said the CX-3 top shock mounts are from the US?

FrankGMS says he used a top shock mount part # DA6A-28-380 from a 2017 Mazda CX-3, and it’s $17 USD plus shipping. And I checked the price online and it’s indeed about $17 each:

919C9524-1579-4E45-B526-25581CF1F07C.jpeg


IMO, you want to fix the top shock mount ASAP. Considering the amount of work, removing the shock might as well to replace the broken top mount and put the shock absorber back at the same time.

Please do report us back the work on your top shock mount replacement, preferably with some pictures. :) I’m curious that if this CX-3 top shock mount is exactly the same as the problematic rear top shock mount on gen-1 CX-5, especially the actual part number stamped on the mount itself.

If the CX-3 top shock mount and gen-1‘s is interchangeable, you definitely can consider any rear after-market shock absorbers you prefer to use in the later date.
 
Finally got this done as have been waiting for it to warm up but still had to lay in melting snow. CX-3 mount fits, is slightly taller (~8mm), but that only means that the bump stop fits a little deeper in it. As the first picture shows, both ears of my old one broke off and the only thing I can think that may have caused this is I have a pellet stove. In the last 2 years I have travelled to my local pellet supplier (~5km by highway) and moved 2 tons on pellets in 4 trips. I figured that putting 800 lbs in the car (back seats folded down) would not be much more than a full complement of passengers, but perhaps that was a little much.

Only issue I had with the repair is removing the stabilizer link off the control arm as it simply spun (watching a video, the bolt head should be "captured" in the link) and I had to use a vice grip on the other side as there did not appear to be any "flats" on it to put a wrench on. As shown in YouTube videos, had to drop the control arm and take the spring out to remove the shock. Will repeat the process on the other side once it warms up and thanks for all the help.

May need to replace the stabilizer link https://parts.palladinomazda.ca/oem-parts/mazda-stabilizer-link-kd3128190, but it is not too expensive. Cleaned the calcium deposits off of the old mount, and definitely different part number than the CX-3 one.

P.S. If you want any more pictures comparing the 2 mounts, still have another new one so ask away...


IMG_0012.JPG
IMG_0010.JPG
 
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Finally got this done as have been waiting for it to warm up but still had to lay in melting snow. CX-3 mount fits, is slightly taller (~8mm), but that only means that the bump stop fits a little deeper in it. As the first picture shows, both ears of my old one broke off and the only thing I can think that may have caused this is I have a pellet stove. In the last 2 years I have travelled to my local pellet supplier (~5km by highway) and moved 2 tons on pellets in 4 trips. I figured that putting 800 lbs in the car (back seats folded down) would not be much more than a full complement of passengers, but perhaps that was a little much.

Only issue I had with the repair is removing the stabilizer link off the control arm as it simply spun (watching a video, the bolt head should be "captured" in the link) and I had to use a vice grip on the other side as there did not appear to be any "flats" on it to put a wrench on. As shown in YouTube videos, had to drop the control arm and take the spring out to remove the shock. Will repeat the process on the other side once it warms up and thanks for all the help.

May need to replace the stabilizer link https://parts.palladinomazda.ca/oem-parts/mazda-stabilizer-link-kd3128190, but it is not too expensive. Cleaned the calcium deposits off of the old mount, and definitely different part number than the CX-3 one.

P.S. If you want any more pictures comparing the 2 mounts, still have another new one so ask away...


View attachment 307966View attachment 307968
Thanks for the update, and please post comparison pictures between old CX-5’s and new CX-3’s top mount especially when you say there’s a 8mm height difference?

And looks like the top mount is made of aluminum alloy which doesn’t feel like too strong?
 
The old mount is 40mm high, new 51 mm (not accounting for the rubber bumper underneath) and both appear to made of aluminum alloy. The ears where the old failed have not been substantially altered and are the weak point in the design so it would be interesting to see if they have been improved in newer iterations of the CX-5.

IMG_0013.JPG
IMG_0014.JPG
 
Slightly off-topic, but would like to use my vehicle for very utilitarian purposes (e.g. pulling a snowmobile trailer, hauling construction materials, etc.) and while it is not ideally designed for such, I think I could make it work. Any thoughts on a air bag suspension kit such as this: https://www.actiontrucks.com/product-detail/AIL60910/air-lift-1000-universal
Watched the installation video, it appears an easy install, is not very expensive, and I carry a cordless air pump so could simply pump up the bags if I was planning on overloading the suspension.
 
Slightly off-topic, but would like to use my vehicle for very utilitarian purposes (e.g. pulling a snowmobile trailer, hauling construction materials, etc.) and while it is not ideally designed for such, I think I could make it work. Any thoughts on a air bag suspension kit such as this: https://www.actiontrucks.com/product-detail/AIL60910/air-lift-1000-universal
Watched the installation video, it appears an easy install, is not very expensive, and I carry a cordless air pump so could simply pump up the bags if I was planning on overloading the suspension.
I wouldn’t consider anything to aid the rear spring carrying heavier load. I really don’t think anything you mentioned to carry or tow will bottom your rear springs too often. More importantly you should keep your tire pressure up to the recommended 38/42 psi F/R COLD when you have heavy load.

75C7EA8B-9304-4058-AD80-25B0077FE981.png



Bedsides, I don’t believe the broken shock top mount of your CX-5 has anything to do with heavy load. The heavy load will only compress the springs and shocks more, which will only bottom both of them and won’t apply any extra force to break the ears. Those ears are broken only by the pulling force which means when the shock is extended to the longest. IMO, the broken rear shock top mount is caused by weak construction design with aluminum alloy.
 
I wouldn’t consider anything to aid the rear spring carrying heavier load. I really don’t think anything you mentioned to carry or tow will bottom your rear springs too often. More importantly you should keep your tire pressure up to the recommended 38/42 psi F/R COLD when you have heavy load.

View attachment 308124


Bedsides, I don’t believe the broken shock top mount of your CX-5 has anything to do with heavy load. The heavy load will only compress the springs and shocks more, which will only bottom both of them and won’t apply any extra force to break the ears. Those ears are broken only by the pulling force which means when the shock is extended to the longest. IMO, the broken rear shock top mount is caused by weak construction design with aluminum alloy.
That makes a lot of sense, will focus more on upping the tire pressure as you suggest, and thank you for the thoughts.
 
I had this happen to me a few days ago for my 2016 CX5. Rear passenger shock mount exploded while driving, loud banging very audible.

Thanks for all the useful info on this forum.

I used the CX3 shock mount (DA6A-28-380). I would have liked to try the 2017 CX5 mount, but since I could not find any reports of it working, I didn't want to test it since we need the car up and running.

I'm posting because:
I was able to change the mount without removing the shock. Makes the job much easier since you don't have to deal with the control arm etc.
Pb blaster on all the nuts
2x 14mm nuts at the top bolts (don't use an impact wrench, you can zip the bolts off since the nuts are generally rusted on--much more complicated repair--this happened to me for my mazda 3 years ago).
Pull (compress) the shock down, 12mm ratcheting wrench over the shock mount nut. Then you need a vice grip to keep the center axle from spinning. It's a tight fit, but makes the job a whole lot faster. Can be done with a regular box end wrench, but you'll hate yourself. Ratcheting wrench was much easier.
Slipped the new mount over the center piece, and reused the same nuts.

Will do the other side when I change my winters. Still fairly cold where I'm at.
 

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I had this happen to me a few days ago for my 2016 CX5. Rear passenger shock mount exploded while driving, loud banging very audible.

Thanks for all the useful info on this forum.

I used the CX3 shock mount (DA6A-28-380). I would have liked to try the 2017 CX5 mount, but since I could not find any reports of it working, I didn't want to test it since we need the car up and running.

I'm posting because:
I was able to change the mount without removing the shock. Makes the job much easier since you don't have to deal with the control arm etc.
Pb blaster on all the nuts
2x 14mm nuts at the top bolts (don't use an impact wrench, you can zip the bolts off since the nuts are generally rusted on--much more complicated repair--this happened to me for my mazda 3 years ago).
Pull (compress) the shock down, 12mm ratcheting wrench over the shock mount nut. Then you need a vice grip to keep the center axle from spinning. It's a tight fit, but makes the job a whole lot faster. Can be done with a regular box end wrench, but you'll hate yourself. Ratcheting wrench was much easier.
Slipped the new mount over the center piece, and reused the same nuts.

Will do the other side when I change my winters. Still fairly cold where I'm at.
Thank You! This board is great because members such as yourself post helpful information like this.
 
You should probably do the other side as well. It had the same stresses on it
Well, should have listened to this advice as while driving home from work the other day, ran over some ice and snow and the other side broke. Good thing I bought a pair of them and should always listen to internet advice....
 
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